Barents restaurant

Had the opportunity to visit this establishment at the beginning of December. It was truly a wonderful experience, starting from the warm welcome at the door and until the very end, we felt like we were looked after. Every single course was a gastronomical journey, and some courses, like the pumpkin, were really breaking culinary boundries, resulting in flavours I have never tasted before. I loved how all the courses were focusing on using local produce and highlighting Latvian and Nordic cusines. The wine and service was exceptional. Thank you to the whole team, will definitely visit again.

Good, but far from what they seem to aspire to considering both the Michelin perspective and the prices. Out of 8 dishes, 4 or at best 5 could be branded gourmet quality. The rest was unfortunately quite bland, unimaginative and even including quite dry and chewy meat on the main dish bird. I left most of what was supposed to be the star of the show on the plate after a couple of small bites. Presentation was super (see picture) but in a restaurant taste is always what matters most. Big shout out to the waiters. They did great work and acted pleasantly professional throughout the 3 hour meal. It always also adds a bit of a luxury feel when there's one waiter to serve my date, and another to serve myself at the exact same time. Best dish: a small medallion of cod, delicately slow-heated to perfection. For a restaurant with gourmet aspirations, I expect a lot more from the kitchen in general, though. They could have done much to improve the feel of the dining room too. Not in any way an inspiring setting, with quite the feel of being sat inside a clothes store, spotlights on rails, rough concrete ceiling fully exposed.

The pacing between dishes needs significant refinement. From the time the amuse bouche was served, it was a whole 20 minutes before the next dish arrived. The dishes were all quite heavy with cream sauce. I would prefer a lighter, thinner consistency. Overall, the dishes lacked creativity. The heavy cream sauces overshadowed any potential for originality.

I was having dinner there during the restaurant week. Very good food and tasty combinations to explore goods from the sea. I appreciate the old fashioned way to get a glass of wine instead the modern device they had that prickled your glass. Other than that all good.

This restaurant needs to have their star! Incredible food, incredible service, incredible experience. We had the seafood platter, the trout, and scallops and complimentary oysters. The chefs are personable and go to your table to explain the food. Their sourdough bread and caramelized butter were SO amazing that I went back and special ordered it two days later. They definitely made me feel like a princess. Do not miss out on this experience! One of the members in our party has an intolerance, and the chef personally came over to our table to ensure the safety of our friend. They went above and beyond to cater to us. Also shout out to Katrina for being the best hostess/waitress in Latvia!!

Well, where do I begin? Let's start with the welcome, which was lovely. We chose the tasting menu, so we started with champagne and some oysters. Then the tasting menu commenced. Each course was delicious, and was supported by the sommelier explaining his choice to accompany the dish. Each selection worked perfectly. This was an unforgettable experience, completely delicious, made even better by the wonderful staff. I can't recommend Barents enough, you won't be disappointed.

Definitely the most exquisite dining experience in Riga. It would be an understatement to say that Barents actually deserves a Michelin star (or even two). The service is impeccable, the food is top-notch. Definitely recommend the chef’s 12-course testing menu. All the dishes were absolutely unique and inspired by quintessential Latvian flavours and ingredients. Would recommend it to anyone, simply 10/10.

Truly, Barents is one of my favourite restaurants in Europe. We returned to the restaurant last week for the second round and were a tiny bit worried that our expectations wont surpass the first round and oh my days…. It was gorgeous! This time we decided to go with a la carte, as we already had a tasting menu previously. Beautiful, innovative, progressive and iconic cooking! Well done to the whole team! Great customer service!